Podcasts about environmental learning

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of The Teacher's Lounge shares creative ways to make the most of outdoor learning all year long. Learn how to turn each season into a hands-on science lab, adapt classroom activities for the outdoors, and combine movement with lessons about nature.These strategies will help you engage children with their environment and create meaningful, educational experiences inspired by seasonal changes. Tune in for actionable tips to bring fresh ideas to your outdoor teaching practices!The Teachers Lounge – • Offering early education teachers a tool to set your classroom onto a path of success and build a cohesive and strong team of educators. (theearlyeducationteacherslounge.com)SocialsFACEBOOK:  (1) The Early Education Teachers Lounge | FacebookINSTAGRAM:  The Teacher's Lounge (@eecteacherslounge) • Instagram photos and videosPINTEREST:  (4) Pinterest

This summer, Osprey Wilds, Soltek, and East Central Energy collaborated to install a 716-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system at Osprey Wilds' campus. The project, the largest of its kind for any nature center in Minnesota, is a win-win-win for all parties. It creates consistent revenue for Soltek, supplies East Central Energy with clean, affordable energy, and provides Osprey Wilds with zero-emission electricity, allowing it to achieve its goals of being carbon neutral from an electrical consumption standpoint, while also providing financial security through affordable energy for the next 30+ years.But how did the vision for powering Osprey Wilds with solar become a reality? Tune into this recording of Fresh Energy's October 28 webinar to hear from Osprey Wilds' Executive Director Bryan Wood, Soltek's CEO Shawn Markham, and East Central Energy's CEO Justin Jahnz about how all three parties came together around this project to help each other achieve their organizations' goals, while also helping the planet.Check out photos from the project here: https://bit.ly/solar-osprey.Give to the Max Day is November 21! Schedule your donation to Fresh Energy today.

I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Bill Reynolds, Lars Wohlers, and Mike Mayer, co-founders of Experiential Interpretive Design, a coaching company they founded to help individuals, organizations, and sites develop the interpretive experiences they provide.In this episode, we learned about the founders, their respective specialties, and why they founded EID.Today is part 2 of this conversation. In this episode, I sit down with Mike Mayer to discuss his specialty (environmental education) and to learn more about the environmental program that inspires what he, Bill, and Lars do at EID.We begin this episode by learning more about the Institute for Earth Education. Some of this may sound familiar because I included a short segment in Part 1. Don't let this distract you because you'll hear something a bit different before Mike walks us through an example of the type of programming offered by the Institute.In this conversation, Mike and I also discuss creating holistic experiences in free-choice settings, the AMORE framework developed by Steve Van Matre, interpreting global topics across cultures, and what might change the status quo in environmental education. LINKSExperiential Interpretive DesignInstitute for Earth EducationInterpretive Design and the Dance of Experience (2009)Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, College of Education at the University of Arizona ________________________Producer: Tania MarienMusic: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License; SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.View The Freelance Project Portfolio to learn more about environmental education professionals and the businesses they start to strengthen environmental literacy.Contact Us

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What happens to students when they are engaged to learn out of doors?   (Tell some stories!) Do you incorporate learning beyond “science”?    (literature, history, art?) What have been the responses to bringing education out of doors—from students, from other teachers, from parents? What are the challenges you face in offering/promoting education outdoors?  (e.g. costs, transportation, insurance, resistance, hesitation from teachers who feel they do not have adequate experience or skills? Note 2022 Census of Community-Based Outdoor and Environmental Learning?) Where do you get support for teaching out of doors?  Teach ME Outside and other educational resources and networks, philanthropy, etc. What else would you advise for teachers, school leaders and parents about making the most of educating out of doors? Guest/s: Hazel Stark, Maine Outdoor School, Milbridge (and producer of The Nature of Phenology on WERU) Tiara Woods, Middle Level Classroom Teacher, Lamoine Consolidated School Landere Naisbitt, Education Coordinator, Blue Hill Heritage Trust Other links: Maine Outdoor School Creative STAR Learning About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 5/10/23: Take it Outside: Maine educators teaching out of doors first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Still and quiet day in a hardwood forest. Intro: Bittersweet by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3440-bittersweet License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

A West Central Tribune Minute feature story: For nearly 25 years, Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center has been using a historic log cabin as a way to teach visitors about pioneer life on the prairie. The cabin also has historic ties to the PWELC, as it sits exactly where the original homesteader cabin was located on the property.

After a two-year hiatus, EA freshmen ventured to North Carolina for the annual Outward Bound School experience. During the trip, students hiked, learned to scale rock walls, and camped in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Host Dr. T.J. Locke talks with students and class advisor Zach Richards about the adventure that still has students smiling and sharing stories.

Sept. 12, 2022 - Before voters head to the polls in November to decide on a $4.2 billion environmental bond act, they should listen to Adirondack Explorer Capitol reporter Gwen Craig share what she learned about New York's experience with the last environmental bond act.

Sept. 12, 2022 - Before voters head to the polls in November to decide on a $4.2 billion environmental bond act, they should listen to Adirondack Explorer Capitol reporter Gwen Craig share what she learned about New York's experience with the last environmental bond act.

Sept. 12, 2022 - Before voters head to the polls in November to decide on a $4.2 billion environmental bond act, they should listen to Adirondack Explorer Capitol reporter Gwen Craig share what she learned about New York's experience with the last environmental bond act.

Karen Cowe, CEO of Ten Strands, and Craig Strang, Associate Director of the Lawrence Hall of Science, share how the Covid 19 Outdoor Learning Initiative was created, and how they are pivoting from a Covid response to a climate response.   Resources:  Connect to the Institute for Humane Education Connect to the Covid 19 Outdoor Learning Initiative The Lawrence Hall of Science Ten Strands: Connecting Education, Environment, and Community Sustainable & Climate Ready Schools Admin Fellowship   Equity and Justice in Outdoor Learning:  Racial Equity in Outdoor Science and Environmental Education: Re-Establishing the Field with Intention Examining Equitable and Inclusive Work Environments in Environmental Education Building Towards an Inclusive Organizational Culture: Insights and Lessons Learned from YES Nature to Neighborhoods Intentional Hiring and Recruitment through the Lens of Equity and Inclusion        Article: Environmental Literacy & Classrooms That Can Save the World Curriculum: Solutionary Units of Study Curriculum: The Resource Center for Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools The California Environmental Literacy Initiative   EdCuration's Certified EdTrustees Micro Professional Learning ExPLorations EdCuration's Blog: Learning in Action EdCuration's upcoming Online Events

I am Attorney Albert Robles, a candidate for Judge of Los Angeles Superior Court Office 156 this coming June 7, 2022. I am the former Mayor of Carson, CA and Past President of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California. The newly constructed and international award winning Albert Robles Center for Recycled Water and Environmental Learning is a project that is named in my honor.

This week's episode of Spotlights is about the theory and practice of environmental learning, featuring clips from three of our previous interviewees, Mitchell Thomashow, Jason Brown, and Kimberly Carfore. They present several ideas and practices for environmental learning, including some tips for how to bring ecological awareness into online education.Details and links for each interviewee's episode:1. Mitchell Thomashow, PhD, renowned educator and author of several books, including his most recent, To Know the World: A New Vision for Environmental Learning.2. Jason Brown, PhD, lecturer in the Humanities and the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.3. Kimberly Carfore, PhD, Adjunct Professor in the Environmental Studies program and Theology & Religious Studies department at the University of San Francisco.

Esse episódio, Dora fala sobre o projeto Tamar, suas linhas de atuação, como eles afetam a conservação das tartarugas e mais. Moreira, J. & Robles, R. Tamar Project: Conservation and Education in Ecotourism Activities Related to Turtles in Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil Capítulo 10 - Wildlife Tourism, Environmental Learning and Ethical Encounters

Join Josh Coward in conversation with Dr. David Zandvliet and Dr. Shannon Leddy, co-chairs of the Institute for Environmental Learning (IEL). Dr. Zandvliet describes his new role as a UNESCO Chair in Bio-Cultural Diversity and elaborates on the IEL’s award-winning work with the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association. Dr. Leddy notes how Indigenous approaches to knowledge and the voices of Indigenous and BIPOC people have been missing. As Drs. Zandvliet and Leddy both agree, the work must continue.

With Estrella Risinger of the Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education in California Children have the opportunity to develop self-awareness and emotional growth while staying overnight at Residential Outdoor Learning Centers (RELCs) like NatureBridge. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a big part of this, and RELCs now have access to a comprehensive and research-backed new tool, Grow-outside.org. Hear the story of how it came to be and the many ways it can enhance nature-based learning at both the individual and organizational levels. Guest:  Estrella Risinger is the Executive Director of the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE) where she works to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California. Recently serving as the National Education Manager at NatureBridge, the largest education partner of the National Park Service, Estrella helped to launch the website, Grow-outside.org, a Social and Emotional Learning Toolkit for Residential Environmental Learning Centers. A former classroom teacher and camp counsellor, Estrella has a background in both formal and informal educational settings.

This week's episode features Mitchell Thomashow, renowned educator and author, with a brand new book coming out this week, To Know the World: A New Vision for Environmental Learning. The discussion covers some of the main themes and topics of the book, including the Anthropocene, memory, improvisation, and cosmopolitan bioregionalism. You can find more information about the new book and other aspects of his work on his website:  https://www.mitchellthomashow.com

Elandriel works with United Way of Metropolitan Nashville as the manager of Early Learning Initiatives. On this podcast episode, she sits down with host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss Social Emotional Learning, SEL and Environmental Learning, EE, and how it impacts a developing brain and youth behavior.

The Environmental Learning Center was founded in 1988 by a group of environmentally conscious pioneers from the Pelican Island Audubon Society, who lived in our community and cherished the nature that thrives in the Indian River Lagoon. Through the support of our community, donors, members, board, staff and volunteers we are able to build our educational nature learning and stewardship programs and evolve our mission to bring nature to all including those with limited means and access to nature. They had a mission to preserve a beautiful, unspoiled 64-acre Indian River Lagoon island and create a place to lead educational programs and EcoAdventures which teach our visitors about the rich biodiversity of our Indian River Lagoon and the importance of its heritage, preservation and continued legacy in our community and in our world.Sara’s relationship with the ELC goes back almost a decade. From 2006-2008 Sara helped teach our school programs as a part-time naturalist. In the spring of 2008 she left the ELC to work as a field biologist. She’s worked for The Nature Conservancy, The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the United States Geological Survey on research projects related to restoration ecology, water quality, and foraging and reproduction studies of passerines and waterbirds. Sara grew up exploring green spaces around Indian River County, as she was raised right here in Vero Beach. Although Sara connected with the natural world from a very early age, her passion for conservation and natural resource management was ignited during her studies at the University of Florida. In 2004, she earned her B.S. degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from UF. Additionally, Sara’s received training from the National Geographic Society in Watershed Education. Sara originally joined the education team as a full-time Naturalist. She’s thrilled to expand her relationship with the communities ELC serves and strives to promote a life-long, positive, mutually-rewarding relationship with nature. In her free time she enjoys all things nature, cooking, traveling, live music, crafting natural products, aromatherapy, and spending time with her family.   

The Environmental Learning Center was founded in 1988 by a group of environmentally conscious pioneers from the Pelican Island Audubon Society, who lived in our community and cherished the nature that thrives in the Indian River Lagoon. Through the support of our community, donors, members, board, staff and volunteers we are able to build our educational nature learning and stewardship programs and evolve our mission to bring nature to all including those with limited means and access to nature. They had a mission to preserve a beautiful, unspoiled 64-acre Indian River Lagoon island and create a place to lead educational programs and EcoAdventures which teach our visitors about the rich biodiversity of our Indian River Lagoon and the importance of its heritage, preservation and continued legacy in our community and in our world. Heather Kramer has been using the out-of-doors as a classroom and a place of inspiration for over ten years, believing there is a firm connection between science and art. Finding relevance in the patterns and cycles that nature presents, she emphasizes these foundations through hands-on, art-based learning opportunities both for herself and students of all ages. She works to create educational pieces that connect the communities to their local ecosystems.

Skylar is a co-lead teacher and advisor at High Marq Environmental Charter School, the treasurer for Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, and a fellow of the Greater Madison Writing Project. His teaching practice is grounded in Project-Based Learning that allows education to be used as a tool to connect youth with their community and become environmentally conscious citizens. In this episode of TG2Cast Skylar and I discuss how Project Based and Environmental Learning create authentic learning experiences for students. Topics include: What is Environmental Education and how does it fit with Project Based Learning? The philosophy behind Project Based and Environmental Learning. How parents and students perceive Project Based Learning. Why Project Based Learning and gradeless pedagogy go hand in hand. How Project Based Learning and gradeless students perform beyond high school. Resources: Skylar's Blog on Medium Skylar's Blog on Teachers Going Gradeless PBL Works Website List of articles about Project Based Learning on Edutopia North American Association for Environmental Education Green Schools National Network

Topics include:What is Environmental Learning and how does it fit with Project Based Learning.What is the philosophy behind Project Based and Environmental Learning.How parents and students perceive Project Based Learning.How Project Based Learning and No Grade go hand in hand.How project based learning and no grades students perform beyond high school.Resources:Skylar’s Blog on MediumPBL Works WebsiteList of articles about Project Based Learning on EdutopiaNorth American Association for Environmental EducationGreen Schools National Network

Leona Davis is pursuing a MA in Environmental Learning, and holds a BS from University of Arizona in Rangeland Management.  Leona‘s…

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Complex still considers itself a work in progress and promises to be a premier urban national wildlife refuge in the Denver Metro Area. The Complex includes the Arsenal, Rocky Flats and Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuges and is home to hundreds of native wildlife species including bison, bald eagles, migratory songbirds, coyotes, large-mouth bass, to name a few. As one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the United States, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff at the Refuge are taking action to remove physical and perceived barriers and investing in education and outreach efforts in order to be a true assets and partner for the community.

In this 2-part episode, Deborah Williams talks about a couple places and an issue that are important to her as an outdoorist, a Denverite and a Coloradan. The places are the Montbello Open Space Park and iconic Rocky Mountain National Park, and they are both recipients of Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. She visits both in this 2-part episode, and she speaks with with some of the projects’ stakeholders from the Turst for Public Land, The North Face, Environmental Learning for Kids about how LWCF dollars were put to work.

In this 2-part episode, Deborah Williams talks about a couple places and an issue that are important to her as an outdoorist, a Denverite and a Coloradan. The places are the Montbello Open Space Park and iconic Rocky Mountain National Park, and they are both recipients of Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. She visits both in this 2-part episode, and she speaks with with some of the projects’ stakeholders from the Turst for Public Land, The North Face, Environmental Learning for Kids about how LWCF dollars were put to work.

Podcart — People need fresh, healthy food. But growing fresh food needs a reliable source of water in a water scarce country. The Amanzi for Food project – funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and led and implemented by the Environmental Learning Research Centre at Rhodes – brings together farmers, extension services, local economic development, agricultural training institutions and agricultural NGOs. They share knowledge and skills around harvesting, storing, and using rainwater to improve food production and to make farming as sustainable as possible. Find out how it works in this first edition of ‘Engagement in Action’ and how it benefits every single person involved – from subsistence farmers to academics. Amanzi for Food webpage

Where in the Metroplex can you go to immerse yourself in a variety of native ecosystems? What is being done to restore and preserve this beautiful and important habitat? Tune in for a conversation with LLELA Director Dr. Ken Steigman, Restoration Manager Richard Freiheit, and Education Coordinator Lisa Cole about the unique "biological ark" that is LLELA.

For this episode, we get a chance to talk to John Geissler and Nick Wagner from Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center about the challenges associated with running an 18,000-acre center with a two-person staff. Also, we talk to Angela Gupta, an Extension Educator/Forester, about a pest by the name of Emerald Ash Borer and the potential impacts it can have on Minnesota's forest.

How do you connect urban kids with the nature next door? We talk to Justin Twist from Environmental Learning for Kids at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Denver, Hendra Aquan of Transformasi Hijau (Green Transformation) in Jakarta, and … Continue reading →

ZOO EDUCATION: BUILDING CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CAROLINA BIOLOGICAL presents  Dr Elizabeth Mulkerrin, Director of Education at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo ( and President of NSELA, Nat'l Science Education Leadership Assoc) along with Nette Pletcher,Directpr of Conservation Education at The Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Platte River Networks is the second of six winners of the 2012 Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards to be featured as part of Business Unconventional’s media partnership with the Chamber.  PRN was this year’s recipient of the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award.  David DeCamillis, business development director at Platte River Networks, joins James B. Fagan, National Sales Manager at Nationwide Valuations, and Rob Rose, the Chamber’s engagement manager, discussing the honor.  Nationwide Valuations sponsored this specific awards category.  Platte River Networks, a technology consulting firm based in Denver, provides complete IT services for small to mid-sized businesses. Hear our interview with Environmental Learning for Kids, this year's winner Chamber winner for Small Non-Profit of the Year. Business Unconventional airs each Sunday morning at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time).  The program is also streamed over the Internet at www.710KNUS.com. The program is hosted by David Biondo and Dean Rotbart. Innovative business owners and entrepreneurs who would like to share their stories with B. Unconventional listeners are invited to contact the program at: 303-800-6081.  Sponsorship opportunities are also available for those seeking to reach small business decision makers. Original Air Date: May 27, 2012Photo: David DeCamillis (l) and James B. Fagan

Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) is the first of six winners of the 2012 Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards to be featured as part of Business Unconventional’s media partnership with the Chamber.  ELK was this year’s recipent of the Chamber’s Small Non-Profit of the Year award. Stacie Gilmore, executive director of ELK, joins Craig Murray, a spokesman for Sam’s Club, and Rob Rose, the Chamber’s engagement manager, discussing the honor.  Sam’s Club sponsored this specific awards category. Ms. Gilmore and her husband started ELK in 1996 to help minority and underprivileged children learn about science, the environment, and career options. The five other Chamber award winners will be featured on B. Unconventional in the weeks to come. Business Unconventional airs each Sunday morning at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time).  The program is also streamed over the Internet at www.710KNUS.com. The program is hosted by David Biondo and Dean Rotbart. Innovative business owners and entrepreneurs who would like to share their stories with B. Unconventional listeners are invited to contact the program at: 303-800-6081.  Sponsorship opportunities are also available for those seeking to reach small business decision makers. Original Air Date: May 20, 2012Photo: (L-R): Rose, Gilmore and Murray

Celebrating the wonderful community contributions from a variety of local and national businesses and nonprofits, Business Unconventional dedicates each of its segments this week to the topic. Those highlighted include: The Denver Zoo; Denver-area Toyota dealers; the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce; Sam’s Club; Environmental Learning for Kids; and the Cade Museum in Florida. On this first segment, co-hosts David Biondo and Dean Rotbart begin their conversation with Craig Piper, President and CEO of the Denver Zoo; Timothy Van Binsbergen of Mountain States Toyota; and Brion Stapp of Stapp Interstate Toyota.  Specifically, the show explores the partnerships behind the Zoo’s new $50 million Toyota Elephant Passage, scheduled to open on June 1, 2012.  This is the first of a two-part interview. Business Unconventional airs each Sunday morning at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time).  The program is also streamed over the Internet at www.710KNUS.com. B. Unconventional is sponsored in part by Signal Butte Financial Corp., which provides individuals and businesses no-risk, proven methods to safely grow their wealth and wave goodbye to conventional banks and other lenders.  For more information, click here or phone David Biondo for a free, zero-obligation personal briefing.  His number is 303-800-6420.    Original Air Date: May 20, 2012Photo: Great Ape at The Denver Zoo   Rotbart, Biondo, Small Business, Entrepreneurs, Consultants, Professionals, Radio, Newsmagazines, KNUS

"How Outdoor Learning Increases Academic Improvement" Special Guest: Stacie Gilmore, Co-founder and Executive Director ofEnvironmental Learning for Kids Allen is joined by Stacie Gilmore, Executive Director of Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK), a Colorado-based program that combines outdoor, field-based learning with mentoring and career preparation. ELK youth have a 98% graduation rate, compared to its surrounding public school system of an astounding 60% for the same demographic.

A series of Interviews Dr. Richard Schwartz conducted in Israel, 2008. Jeremy Benstein, author and Associate Director of the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in Tel Aviv, discusses the group's efforts to educate Israelis and others on Jewish environmental teachings and ways to address Israel's environmental challenges.

Led by Luke Gascho, executive director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center